Walking the Old Road: The Happy New Year Tradition

The Happy New Year Tradition is the first segment in a new ongoing series called Walking the Old Road: The Story of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Chippewa. The Happy New Year tradition is fondly remembered by the Ojibwe people who live along the North Shore of Lake Superior, a practice that is believed to have started on the first payment day as part of the Treaty of 1854. The accompanying photo was contributed by the Cook County Historical Society.

The series is produced by Staci Lola Drouillard, Grand Marais native of Grand Portage Ojibwe descent, and is intended to honor the people who came before by sharing the views, stories and life experiences of those most often marginalized within the context of American history.